Influence of fenvalerate and quercetin on hepatic antioxidant enzymes.

Pyrethroids are a class of neurotoxic pesticides with high selectivity for insects. Fenvalerate is a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide used to protect a variety of crops. Fenvalerate has been reported to exert deleterious effects on non target organisms including mammals. Recently, Fenvalerate was reported to cause liver damage in rats probably by generating oxidative stress while Quercetin, a potential antioxidant, has been reported to posses hepatoprotective activity. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to assess the ability of Quercetin to protect liver from Fenvalerate induced toxicity. In the present investigation an effort was made to evaluate the effect of Quercetin and Fenvalerate on hepatic G 6PD, GST and GR. Fenvalerate administration demonstrated significant reduction in the activities of hepatic G-6-PD, GST and GR while rats co treated with Quercetin showed significant recovery in the activities of these antioxidant enzymes.

Anticataract activity of ethanolic extract of nigella sativa on glucose induced cataract in Goat Eye Lens.

The present investigation was aimed to evaluate efficacy of ethanolic extract seeds of Nigella sativa against glucose induced cataract in goat eye lens. In the in vitro study, goat lenses were subjected to photographic evaluation and biochemical parameters such as protein, GSH, MDA, NA+/K+ ATPase and sodium and potassium were also analyzed. Photographic examination of the eyes showed that treatment with ethanolic extracts of seeds of N. sativa retarded the progression of lens opacification. Cataract lens treated with N. sativa elevated the activity of Na+ K+ ATPase, total and water soluble proteins and K+ ions to the level of normal level whereas reduced concentrations of Na+ ions. The MDA levels were significantly less in the N. sativa treated groups whereas, the level of GSH, in high glucose (55mM), compared to the normal control group was significantly low but N. sativa treated groups showed higher level of GSH. These results support the view that ethanolic extract of seeds of N. sativa as seen in this in vitro model may, counteracts the effects of glucose in inducing cataract to some extent.